Latch-bolt keeper and means for mounting the same



1,645 332 Oct.11,1927. I J LEDWINKA LATCH BOLT KEEPER ANDMEANS FOR MOUNTING THE SAME Filed Dec. 28, 1923 IN VEN TOR.

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MINE-55: BY I ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LEDWINKA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 EDWARD G.

IBUDD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- POBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LATCH-BOLT KEEPER AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE SAME.

Application filed December 28, 1923.

My invention relates to improvements in latch bolt keepers and means for mounting the *same, and it has to do, more particularly, with a keeper construction for use in connection with automobile doors, and with means for mounting and adjusting said keeper for proper co-operation with the latch bolt.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a structure of latch bolt keeper and mounting therefor, which is simple, efiicient, economical to manufacture, and readily and easily applied to a door post,

for example, and which permits the quickand easy adjustment thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide a keeper construction and mounting such that the keeper may be adjusted to the desired position from the inside of the body on which the keeper is mounted.

A further object of my invention is to provide a keeper structure and mounting, and adjusting means therefor which permits the latch bolt and keeper to'be adjusted into their proper working relation while the door occupies its closed position.

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of construction and operation, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices andmeans set forth in the following specification. My invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the appended claims. "A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, in side elevation, of an automobile body having my improved keeper construction thereon.

Fig. 2 is a face view of the rear door post with a keeper applied thereto in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 3 is a broken vertical sectional view through the post and keeper, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a horizontal, sectional View through the post and keeper, taken on the line H of Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar view through the post Serial No. 683,146.

and keeper, taken on the line 55 of Figs. 2 and 3, and

Fig. 6 is a similar view, through the post and keeper, taken on the line 66 of Figs. 2 and 3, the door and latch bolt carried thereby being indicated in dotted lines.

In the drawing, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the section line.

In assembling the latch mechanism for doors, such, for instance, as the latch mechanism employed for automobile doors, it is customary to mount the latch bolt and its operating mechanism on the door and to mount the keeper for the latch bolt on the door jamb or post, the mounting of these parts being effected before the dooris hung. It frequently becomes desirable and sometimes necessary to adjust the relative positions of the keeper and latch bolt in order that their parts may be brought into proper and cooperating working relation. This is particularly true in the case of that class of latch mechanism which employs a swinging latch bolt and wherein the keeper has a curved surface to be engaged by a similarly curved end face of the swinging latch bolt. The precise and accurate adjustment of the parts in such cases is desirable in order that the engaging surfaces of the latch bolt and keeper may be brought into such relation to each other as to enable them to properly cooperate in the performance of their function. With latch bolt mechanism such as have been heretofore employed, it has been more or less difiicult and inconvenient to effect an adjustment of the keeper after it has once been mounted in place. Moreover, in such prior structures it has been impossible to efiect an adjustment of the keeper while the door occupies its closed position. This necessitated a frequent opening and closing of the door during the operation of effecting the adjustment in order that it might be ascertained. when the desired adjustment has been secured.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide a structure of and mountin for a keeper wherein the adjustment of tie keeper, in its mounting may be quickly and easily efi'ected after it has been mounted in place in a door jamb or door post, and wherein such adjustment may be effected while the door occupies its closed position.

In general, I accomplish the objects of my invention by providing a keeper which is mounted in a casing or housing secured to or forming a part of the door post. The casing, or housing, is provided with an opening through which projects the latch bolt on the door when the door is closed, and the keeper is provided with the usual surface for engagement and cooperation end of said latch bolt. This casing, or housing, may be of channel or other desired shape in cross-section, and may take the form of a strip which is secured to, or forms a part of, the door post. The keeper is adjustably secured to saidmember, or strip, and I propose to provide means not only for adjusting said keeper with respect to said member, but for clamping the keeper in adjusted position. Furthermore, I propose to provide means for adjusting the keeper, which may be operated while the door is closed. I propose to provide for the adjustment of the keeper, with respect to the channel strip or member on or in which it is mounted, by means of screws which are threaded in holes in ears at the ends of said keeper, and which are held against longitudinal shifting with respect to said strip or member, and which may be rotated from outside of the strip or member, preferably from the inside of the body. The keeper may be provided with ears extending above and below the bolt opening in the channel strip, or member, in which the keeper is mounted, and I may provide screws, which are held against movement, longitudinally of their own axes, by engagement with the walls of the channel-shaped strip, and which are threaded through such ears so that rotation of the screws tends to move the ears toward or away from one wall of the channel-shaped strip. Any suitable means may be provided for clamping the keeper in adjusted position.

Referring to the numbered parts of the accompanying drawing, in which I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention which has been found to be very satisfactory, I have shown an automobile body, 10, provided with the usual doors, 11. I have shown my invention applied, in this instance, to the rear door post, but, of course, it may be applied to any of the door posts of the body. The panel, 12, forming the tonneau of the body, is flanged, at 13, and secured to the strip, 14, which forms the door post. The strip, 14, is bent outwardly, at 15, and then at right angles forming the face portion, 16, extending parallel to the portion, 14, said portion, 16, being bent rearwith the wardly forming a flange, 17 parallel to the flange, 15, of the strip. The consequence is that this forms a sheet metal rabbet strip or housing having an interior channel. This forms the door post of the body and it is rigidly secured to the flange, 13, of the tonneau panel. The outer face portion, 16, of this strip is provided with an opening, 18, through which the latch bolt works, said latch bolt being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The keeper, 19, has a curved surface, 20, which conforms to the curved end face of the swinging latch bolt, and is adapted to be engaged by the latter. The keeper also has a front wall, 21, at one side edge of 8 said curved surface, the inner edge of which bears against a projecting portion, 22, of the channel strip, 14, at the edge of the opening, 18, therein. The keeper may be secured or clamped in place in its housing, 8

or after having been adjusted, in any suitable, simple or convenient manner. In the illustrated arrangement shown, the keeper is provided with the ears, 23, extending above and below the curved surface, 20, and 9 the ears, 23, each has a slot, 26, extending transversely thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. The clamping screws, or bolts, 24, extend through the portion, 16, of the channel strip, and through the slots, 26, of the ears, H5

23, and receive the nuts, 25, threaded on the ends of said bolts. These bolts serve to keep the latch bolt keeper in place after it has been adjusted by the means which I will now describe. means might be used. The internallythreaded holes, 28, are also formed in the cars, 23, and these holes extend in directions at right angles to the bolts, 24. The adjusting screws, 27, are screwed into said holes,

28, and one .end of each screw engages the wall, 15, of the channel-shaped strip, while' the opposite end of said screw has a shoulder, 29, and a reduced head, 30, the latter extending through a hole in the side wall, 17 of the channel strip.

The shoulder, 29, engages the inner side of said wall and pre vents lateral movement of said bolt, 27, with respect to the strip, while permitting .the

rotation of said adjusting bolt by any suitable tool applied to the head, 30, through the hole in the wall, 17.

The operation of this keeper construction and the means for adjusting the same should be very readily apparent from the description which has been given above. The keeper cooperates with the latch bolt in the usual manner and it will be noted that, by adjusting the keeper with respect to the door post, the door is permitted to door post more or less closely, so as to pro vide more or less space between the body and the edge of the door which overlaps the body, as shown in Fig. 6. It is often desirable to adjust the keeperin order to bring 130 Of course, other clamping I00 approach the about a better closing of the door. It will be observed that my improved keeper may be easily adjusted due to the mounting which I have devised. When it is desired to adjust the keeper, the clamping bolts, 24, are

- loosened, and the operator rotates the adjusting bolts, 27, in one direction or the other, by means of the heads, 30, which are accessible through the walls, 17, of the channel-shaped strip, thereby bringing the keeper to the best possible position for cooperating with the latch bolt. This adjustment may be effected while the door is closed so that one can continue the adjustment until the door has been brought to the desired position. This is a very great advantage as it enables the operator to make the necessary adjustment of the keeper quickly and conveniently without frequent stops to try and see whether the door will close properly. Assoon as the keeper has been adjusted to the desired position, the

clamping bolts, 24, are tightened, and it is held in such location.

The keeper is very simple to manufacture and may be very readily mounted in place in the door post. I have shown my invention applied to an all-metal body construction having a metal door post, but it is not to be restricted to such body construction nor to the use of a metal door post as it might be applied to a composite body having a rabbet strip for the door post, or it I might be applied to a construction having a wooden post with a channel formed therein or applied thereto to receive the keeper. I have shown a simple means for clamping the keeper in adjusted position, but other means may be used, and, therefore, I am not to be restricted tothe specific expedient employed for holding the keeper in adjusted position. I am also aware that other means might be adopted which are accessible from the outside of the door post and by means of which the keeper might be adjusted with respect to the door post. therefore, to be restricted to the specific means disclosed in this specification except as required by the claims.

I am aware that the construction illustrated in these drawings may be changed considerably without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I desire to claim my invention broadly, as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I do not wish,

I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a channel-shape housing member, having an opening in a portion thereof, a keeper mounted within said channel and provided with a boltengaging surface in line with said opening and with ears above and below said opening,

adjusting screws threaded through said ears and engaged by the side walls of saidchannel member to prevent longitudinal shifting of said screws, the heads of said screws being accessible through openings in one sidewall ing one end engaging one side wall of said member and a shoulder on the opposite end engaging the opposite side wall of said member, the heads of said screws being accessible through openings in said side walls, and

means for clamping said keeper in adjusted position.

3. The combination of'a channel-shaped housing member, having an opening in a J portion thereof, a keeper mounted within said channel and having a bolt-engaging surface in line with said opening and'ears above and below said opening, adjusting screws threaded through said ears and having their ends inengagement with one side wall and their heads engaging the opposite side wall, said last-mentioned side wall having openings through which the heads- 0f such screws may be rotated, said ears being also provided with slots, and clamping bolts passing through the base of said channel member and through said slots for clamping said keeper in adjusted position.

4. A latch bolt keeper structure for automobiles comprising a casing of channel cross section, a rotatable adjusting screw arranged transversely of the channe ed sections and' confined against axial movement by engage ment of its opposite ends by the side walls of the channel, and a keeper mounted thereon to be adjusted thereby through the rotation of the screw.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

, JOSEPH LEDWINKA. 

